Lung cancer is associated with more distress than most other tumors.
Risk factors for significant distress in a patient with lung cancer:
(1) younger age
(2) female gender
(3) difficult family or personal relationships
(4) pre-existing anxiety, depression or other emotional problems
(5) lack of information about the disease, treatment or options (associated with a sense of being powerless)
(6) significant disability (poor physical functioning)
(7) impaired cognition
Other factors which may contribute to distress:
(1) lack of social support
(2) poor coping
(3) difficult symptoms (pain, fatigue, etc)
(4) economic problems
All patients with lung cancer should be screened for distress throughout the course of their disease.
